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Kolkata - Introduction
Kolkata is a city that conjures up different images for different people. For some, Kolkata is the city of joy, while for others it is dirty, crowded, and noisy. Once the greatest colonial city in the Orient, Kolkata was later reviled as a cauldron of all that was negative in the third world.
Today, it ranks among the four major metropolitan cities of India along with Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. A mere village in the 17th century, Kolkata is not an ancient city like Delhi. Like Mumbai and Chennai, it originated largely due to the expansionist ambitions of the European powers, especially the British Raj. Little wonder, Kolkata has some of the finest Raj edifices built in a variety of styles.
This city is known for its cultural life, various tourist attractions and has been home to three of India's Nobel laureates, the writer Rabindranath Tagore, the living saint Mother Teresa, and the economist Amartya Sen. It was also home to the late Satyajit Ray - recipient of a lifetime achievement Oscar and renowned for his cinema worldwide.
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